diff --git a/crates/owlen-tui/src/chat_app.rs b/crates/owlen-tui/src/chat_app.rs
index 69b9f06..832dc47 100644
--- a/crates/owlen-tui/src/chat_app.rs
+++ b/crates/owlen-tui/src/chat_app.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use owlen_core::{
     ui::{AppState, AutoScroll, FocusedPanel, InputMode, RoleLabelDisplay},
 };
 use pathdiff::diff_paths;
-use ratatui::style::{Modifier, Style};
+use ratatui::style::{Color, Modifier, Style};
 use ratatui::text::{Line, Span};
 use textwrap::{Options, WordSeparator, wrap};
 use tokio::{
@@ -1806,11 +1806,24 @@ impl ChatApp {
         match role {
             Role::User => Style::default().fg(theme.user_message_role),
             Role::Assistant => Style::default().fg(theme.assistant_message_role),
-            Role::System => Style::default().fg(theme.unfocused_panel_border),
+            Role::System => Style::default().fg(theme.mode_command),
             Role::Tool => Style::default().fg(theme.info),
         }
     }
 
+    fn message_border_style(theme: &Theme, role: &Role) -> Style {
+        let base_color = match role {
+            Role::User => theme.user_message_role,
+            Role::Assistant => theme.assistant_message_role,
+            Role::System => theme.mode_command,
+            Role::Tool => theme.info,
+        };
+
+        let dimmed = Self::dim_color(base_color);
+
+        Style::default().fg(dimmed).add_modifier(Modifier::DIM)
+    }
+
     fn content_style(theme: &Theme, role: &Role) -> Style {
         if matches!(role, Role::Tool) {
             Style::default().fg(theme.tool_output)
@@ -1819,6 +1832,46 @@ impl ChatApp {
         }
     }
 
+    fn dim_color(color: Color) -> Color {
+        match color {
+            Color::Reset | Color::Indexed(_) => color,
+            _ => {
+                if let Some((r, g, b)) = Self::color_to_rgb(color) {
+                    let dim_component = |component: u8| -> u8 {
+                        let value = ((component as u16) * 2) / 5;
+                        value as u8
+                    };
+                    Color::Rgb(dim_component(r), dim_component(g), dim_component(b))
+                } else {
+                    color
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn color_to_rgb(color: Color) -> Option<(u8, u8, u8)> {
+        match color {
+            Color::Black => Some((0, 0, 0)),
+            Color::Red => Some((205, 0, 0)),
+            Color::Green => Some((0, 205, 0)),
+            Color::Yellow => Some((205, 205, 0)),
+            Color::Blue => Some((0, 0, 205)),
+            Color::Magenta => Some((205, 0, 205)),
+            Color::Cyan => Some((0, 205, 205)),
+            Color::Gray => Some((170, 170, 170)),
+            Color::DarkGray => Some((85, 85, 85)),
+            Color::LightRed => Some((255, 85, 85)),
+            Color::LightGreen => Some((85, 255, 85)),
+            Color::LightYellow => Some((255, 255, 85)),
+            Color::LightBlue => Some((85, 85, 255)),
+            Color::LightMagenta => Some((255, 85, 255)),
+            Color::LightCyan => Some((85, 255, 255)),
+            Color::White => Some((255, 255, 255)),
+            Color::Rgb(r, g, b) => Some((r, g, b)),
+            Color::Reset | Color::Indexed(_) => None,
+        }
+    }
+
     fn message_content_hash(role: &Role, content: &str, tool_signature: &str) -> u64 {
         let mut hasher = DefaultHasher::new();
         role.to_string().hash(&mut hasher);
@@ -2128,10 +2181,10 @@ impl ChatApp {
         }
 
         for line in lines {
-            card_lines.push(Self::wrap_card_body_line(line, inner_width, theme));
+            card_lines.push(Self::wrap_card_body_line(line, inner_width, theme, role));
         }
 
-        card_lines.push(Self::build_card_footer(card_width, theme));
+        card_lines.push(Self::build_card_footer(card_width, theme, role));
         card_lines
     }
 
@@ -2142,7 +2195,7 @@ impl ChatApp {
         card_width: usize,
         theme: &Theme,
     ) -> Line<'static> {
-        let border_style = Style::default().fg(theme.unfocused_panel_border);
+        let border_style = Self::message_border_style(theme, role);
         let role_style = Self::role_style(theme, role).add_modifier(Modifier::BOLD);
         let meta_style = Style::default().fg(theme.placeholder);
         let tool_style = Style::default()
@@ -2199,8 +2252,8 @@ impl ChatApp {
         Line::from(spans)
     }
 
-    fn build_card_footer(card_width: usize, theme: &Theme) -> Line<'static> {
-        let border_style = Style::default().fg(theme.unfocused_panel_border);
+    fn build_card_footer(card_width: usize, theme: &Theme, role: &Role) -> Line<'static> {
+        let border_style = Self::message_border_style(theme, role);
         let mut spans = Vec::new();
         spans.push(Span::styled("└", border_style));
         let horizontal = card_width.saturating_sub(2);
@@ -2215,8 +2268,9 @@ impl ChatApp {
         line: Line<'static>,
         inner_width: usize,
         theme: &Theme,
+        role: &Role,
     ) -> Line<'static> {
-        let border_style = Style::default().fg(theme.unfocused_panel_border);
+        let border_style = Self::message_border_style(theme, role);
         let mut spans = Vec::new();
         spans.push(Span::styled("│ ", border_style));